Pa ge 1 Pa ge 86 American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (AJMRI) Distributed Leadership, Teacher Organizational Commitment and Teacher Empowerment Among Private Elementary School Teachers in Northern Ghana. Nurideen Alhassan1*, Naziha Alhassa2 Volume 1 Issue 2, Year 2022 ISSN: 2158-8155 (Online) DOI: https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v1i2.301 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Article Information ABSTRACT Received: May 31, 2022 Accepted: June 07, 2022 Published: June 09, 2022 Without committed teachers, no meaningful progress can be achieved in addressing the chal- lenge that the schools are facing. The study aims to investigate the relationship and influence between distributed leadership (DL), teacher organizational commitment (TOC) and teacher empowerment (TE) in selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of the Republic of Ghana. The paper reports findings from 22 elementary private school teachers out of the 25 questionnaires administered using convenience sampling. To analyze the data, the SPSS version 25.0 was employed. The descriptive statistics and Spearman rho correla- tions were applied to understand the interactions between the variables. Also, Normality and reliability were conducted on the items and variables respectively. The results reveal a direct relationship between distributed leadership and teacher organizational commitment, distrib- uted leadership and teacher empowerment, and lastly, teacher empowerment and teacher organizational commitment. The results propose that school proprietors and headteachers find ways to distribute leadership in private elementary schools. Sharing leadership roles to a teacher means empowering them which will enhance and improve the commitments of teachers in the various schools. This research replicates and respond to the call for further research by Mohd Ali & Yangaiya (2015) in Nigeria because it is an important study that will have good future outcomes. This study would employ the same variable but will be conduct- ed in the Republic of Ghana. Keywords Distributed leadership, Teacher organizational commitment, Teacher empowerment, Private elementary schools, Ghana. 1 University of Worcester Business School. Worcestershire. England, UK 2 International Islamic University of Malaysia, Department of Social foundation and educational leadership, Malaysia. * Corresponding author’s e-mail: aldeen91@hotmail.co.uk INTRODUCTION In recent years, every industry, including educational institutions, has paid close attention to leadership terminology and expertise, which are thought to be the driving force behind both organizational success and failure (Bush & Glover, 2014; Bush & Sargsyan, 2020; Connolly et al., 2019; Yukl, 2016; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). The authors opine that the issues of leadership are more prevailing in the educational setting because of its numerous challenges such as the population of students, bureaucratic and complex nature of the institutions, teacher burnout, and many more. Thus, they confirm that leadership is all about influencing the activities of members to achieve organizational goals. The World education Service (WES) (2019) reiterate that the elementary school curriculum in Ghana which focuses on developing basic reading and writing abilities, arithmetic and problem-solving skills begins at the age of six. With fees at public elementary schools about 21% lower than in private schools – a circumstance that has facilitated the spread of private schools, particularly in rural areas where governmental provision is lacking. The percentage of children enrolled in private elementary schools increased from 13 percent in 1999 to 28 percent in 2018 (per UIS data, 2019). The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also reiterate that the percentage of enrolment in primary education and pre-primary education in private institutions in Ghana went up in 2019 and 2020 by 29.8% and 31.5% respectively (UIS Data, 2021). This has prompted the need for physical and leadership infrastructures in private elementary schools. One of the astounding and challenging issues found is that there is the limited practice of school leadership in the Ghanaian school cultures, therefore affecting the school improvement and school effectiveness (Ampah-mensah, 2013). The quality of schools can be improved depending on how teachers are committed to the organization. The essential mechanism suggested by scholars has been distributed leadership (DL) which is proven to have a positive influence on teachers’ Organizational commitment (TOC) (Berjaoui & Karami-Akkary, 2020; Devos et al., 2014; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). Several studies reveal in the literature of distributed leadership and teachers’ commitment are mostly conducted in public secondary schools (Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). They recommended that there will be new and interesting future studies in private schools, elementary schools, and tertiary education. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship and influence between distributed leadership (DL) and teachers’ organizational commitment (TOC) in selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of the Republic of Ghana. This study investigates the relationship and influence between distributed leadership (DL) and teachers’ organizational commitment (TOC) in selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of the Republic of Ghana and aims to find out if teacher empowerment (TE) would facilitate the relationship between distributed leadership (DL) and the teacher organizational commitment (TC) in any manner. Specifically, the study seeks to: https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v1i2.301 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 87 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 1. To examine the relationship between DL and teachers’ TOC in selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of Ghana. 2. To investigate the relationship between DL and TE in selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of Ghana. 3. To analyse the relationship between TE and TOC selected private elementary schools in the Northern region of Ghana. The study intends to improve the existing literature on school leadership in Africa and Ghana precisely and hence asked the questions; 1. Is there a direct and significant relationship between DL and TOC? 2. Is there a correlation between DL and TE? 3. Is there a direct and significant relationship between TE and TOC? LITERATURE REVIEW Distributed leadership One of the most important discussions about educational leadership since the mid-1990s has focused on distributed leadership (Tian et al., 2016). Distributed leadership according to Harris & DeFlaminis (2016), was labelled the “new kid on the block” in the field of educational administration and leadership a decade ago. Distributed leadership, unlike many other leadership trends that come and go, is a powerful concept in educational policy and practice and has normatively become a selected leadership model (Bush & Glover, 2014; Harris & DeFlaminis, 2016). Even the recent global pandemic, Harris (2020) accounts how the covid-19 has exposed how distributed leadership was utilized in managing virtual teaching and learning and managing schools through shared roles. Distributed leadership began as a practical technique for leaders to share their ever-increasing workload. Later, the concept was extended to include other actors’ leadership impact (Tian et al., 2016). Leadership, as well as teams, and organizational features, are addressed in the distributed leadership approach (Goksoy, 2016). However, the older leadership models, in which one person is the hero, mentor, and accountable party, has been replaced by distributed leadership, which distributes leadership positions among the organization’s members (García Torres, 2019; Goksoy, 2016; Berjaoui & Karami-Akkary, 2020; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). Also, Harris & DeFlaminis (2016) add that, Without a doubt, distributed leadership is today a well-known and extensively used word, referring to leadership that is shared inside, between, and across organizations, but not exclusively. It essentially trains principals and teachers to work in teams to improve instructions and raise students’ achievement. Distributed leadership, whether disguised as professional capital, collaborative networks, or teacher- led reform, is a durable and fundamentally applicable leadership idea (Harris, 2020; Harris & DeFlaminis, 2016; Mel Ainscow, 2015). Largely, pieces of literature reveal a paradigm shift from transformational and traditional (focused or solo) leadership to the collective leadership of which “distributed leadership” forms part. In practice, distributed leadership entails a reduction in traditional leadership roles and a shift toward a flatter, more decentralized, networked leadership culture. Distributed leadership focuses on leadership relationships rather than acts, reflecting the changing reality that all leaders, not only school leaders, are confronted with. Distributed leadership is based on the mobilization of people to lead through communal participation and action, rather than on control. (Harris, 2020; Berjaoui & Karami-Akkary, 2020; Devos et al., 2014; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015) School instructors can now participate in decision- making, especially when it comes to teaching and learning difficulties, thanks to distributed leadership. Many studies have found a positive correlation between teachers’ participation in decision-making and their organizational commitment.(Berjaoui & Karami-Akkary, 2020; Devos et al., 2014; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015) Teacher organizational commitment Organizational commitment has been studied by numerous researchers as a result of its effects on a school’s organizational developments, especially the performance of teachers (Devos et al., 2014; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). Moreso, Mowday et al. (1979) view organizational commitment as the relative strength of an individual’s identification with, involvement in, and loyalty to a particular organization. In a school context, dedicated teachers are noticed to be hardworking and would not leave positions for reasons beyond their control (Hulpia & Devos, 2010). This means that school effectiveness cannot be achieved when there is a high ranking of teachers based on three elements, absenteeism, performance and turnover of, the school cannot accomplish its mission and vision, hence the teacher commitment is crucial and should be stressed (Berjaoui & Karami-Akkary, 2020). Other factors affect organizational commitment, but this research will focus on distributed leadership as one technique that has been revealed by studies to lead to teacher organizational commitment. Teacher empowerment Teacher empowerment is argued to be a critical issue that promotes school efficiency. Teachers have been given more opportunities to engage in school-level decision-making and to use more professional judgment in curriculum and instructional matters (Aliakbari & Amoli, 2016). Furthermore, empowering members in an organization means granting them a more active and responsible role. Empowerment in school means availing teachers the opportunity by strengthening their sense of effectiveness as well as sharing power, information and responsibility to manage their work as possible and for the benefit of students (Balyer et al., 2017; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). Being an empowered teacher according to (Aliakbari & Amoli, 2016) gives ample resources and freedom to provide for every student with what they deserve, hence it is an important requirement for improving students’ https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 88 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 performance academically. In addition, empowerment has also been found to encourage elements such as knowledge, autonomy, feedback, and importance, all of which assist and foster an individual’s commitment to the organization (Aliakbari & Amoli, 2016; Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). This research replicates a similar study conducted by Mohd Ali & Yangaiya (2015) in Nigeria because it is an important study that will have good future outcomes. This study would employ the same variable but will be conducted in the Republic of Ghana. Since this is a preliminary study, it does not intend to generalize to the entire population small sample size and type. The study seeks only to explore the relationship between distributed leaders, teacher organizational commitment and teacher empowerment. Conceptual Framework According to Hulpia et al. (2010b), there will be no real progress in tackling the difficulties that various schools face without the dedication of teachers. As a result, the conceptual framework of the study is linked to the need for teacher dedication in private elementary schools, particularly in the Northern region of Ghana. The structure below demonstrates the relationship between DL, TOC, and the mediating variable (TE) in achieving the study’s goals, which are to research the impact DL has on TOC and how TE can facilitate the influence of DL on TC in selected private elementary schools in Northern region, Ghana. Furthermore, the study findings may help management and stakeholders improve the quality and efficacy of private elementary schools in the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole. Figure 1: Conceptual Framework. MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Design This research is a quantitative type of study that uses the correlational study to examine the relationship and influence between distributed leadership, teachers’ organizational commitment and teacher empowerment in selected private elementary schools in the Republic of Ghana. The study was committed to the survey method (questionnaires) in collecting the primary data from the respondents. Population and sample The participants consists of 25 elementary private school teachers, and they were selected using the convenience sampling method. Moreso, the study selected five (5) private elementary schools in the Northern region whiles also taking into account the size of the school. Moreover, the study opted for schools with more than 700 pupils because such schools have a formal management structure. Instruments The study adopts three main research instruments from the scholarly works of the following; Mowday et al. (1979), Hulpia et al. (2010) and Singh & Kaur (2019). The instruments include organizational commitment questionnaires (OCQ), inventory for distributed leadership (DLI) and teacher empowerment scale (TES), respectively. The organizational commitment (OCQ) questionnaire has a long and short version of questionnaires but the short version of the OCQ questionnaire which was adapted consists of six positively worded items and is uni-dimensional. The adoption of the version was informed by its simplicity to respondents. Also, The distributed leadership inventory (DLI) has four dimensions scale. The dimensions are cooperation of leadership team, participative decision making, principal leadership, leadership support, and leadership supervision. In addition, the Teacher empowerment scale (TES) consists of four dimensions namely meaning, impact, self-determination and competence. Overall, the three instruments will be rated on a 5 Likert scale. Data collection procedure and ethics The researcher distributed 25 questionnaires to the participants using an online survey form (google form) through a social network precisely the Watsapp platform. The form was designed following four categories including, Demographics, Distributed Leadership Inventory, Teacher Organizational Commitment and lastly, Teach Empowerment. Not only that, the survey form includes the purpose of the research and each category has instructions about the variable. Respondents will take atleast 8-10 mins and also, they may withdraw at any time because they are not imposed to part take in the process. In addition, information solicited from the respondents was kept confidential. Data analysis procedure Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) versions (25.0) was employed in analyzing the data obtained. The survey instruments were administered to twenty-five (25) teachers in private elementary schools in the northern region of Ghana. Twenty-two (22) representing 88 per cent of the questionnaires were returned. RESULTS Statistical Analysis A convenience sampling method was employed to administer the questionnaire and would be analyzed using descriptive statistics and spearman’s rho correlation. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize the collected data and provide in-depth and overall trends as well as understand the variations in the scores. More so, to discover the stands of the score when compared. The study also conducts a test for normality to ascertain if the https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 89 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 Table 1: Reliability Test Variables Cronbach’s Alpha Cronbach’s Alpha based on a stand. items Number of items DL .978 .979 21 TOC .939 .939 6 TE .981 .982 18 Table 2: Test of Normality Kolmogorov-Smirnova Shapiro-Wilk Statistic Df Sig Statistic Df Sig DL .143 21 .200* .925 21 .110 TOC .149 21 .200* .889 21 .022 TE .185 21 .059 .876 21 .012 data is normally distributed, the results of the normality test are indicated. Furthermore, Cronbach’s Alpha is used to check the reliability of the variables and Spearman’s rho correlation to examine the direction and relationship between the variables. Both the reliability and normality test are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The SPSS version 25.0 was used to estimate the descriptive statistics. Based on the estimations in Table 1 above, the coefficients of the Cronbach’s Alpha for the variables items are DL(r) = .978, TOC(r) = .939 and TE(r) = .981. The thumb rule is that the bigger the coefficient the more reliable and consistent the test score. Thus, the study concludes that the variables items are strongly reliable and consistent. The study adopted the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality since the data sample is below 100. The results show that the sample data is not normally distributed since the p-values are below 5 per cent significance level, except for DL whose p-value is greater than 5 per cent significance level. Moreover, the study transforms all variables into “log” to test for further normality and the findings remain the same, thus, the research concludes that the sample data is not normally distributed, making it non- parametric. Background of respondent demographic characteristics Table 3 below shows the demographic characteristics Table 3: Demographic Characteristics Details Characteristics Frequency Percentages Gender Male 12 54.5% Female 10 45.5% Total 22 100% Age 20-30 7 31.8% 31-40 11 50% 41+ 4 18.2% Total 22 100% Years of working 1-5 13 59.1% 6-10 8 36.4% 11+ 1 4.5% Total 22 100% and background of the respondents. The respondents were the teachers at private elementary schools in Ghana. Twelve (12) or 54.5% of the respondents were males while ten (10) or 45.5% of the respondents were female. Based on age classification, seven (7) or 31.8% are between twenty (20) to thirty (30) years, one eleven (11) or 50% are between thirty-one (31) to forty years (40) while four (4) or 18.2% are forty (40) years and above. Moreover, from Table 2, the estimates reveal that thirteen (13) or 59.1% of the respondents possessed 1-5 years working experience eight (8) or 36.4% possessed 6-10 years working experience and only one (1) or 4.5% possessed more than 10 years working experience. Distributed leadership Table 4 above shows the estimated frequencies and corresponding percentages of the four dimensions and items on distributed leadership. All four-dimensional factors were scored within a range of 5 Likert scale values; 1 representing strongly disagreed and 5 representing strongly agreed. A substantial number of respondents “strongly agree” to the cooperation within the leadership teams as well as the existence of well- functioning and ready to implement leadership teams in the selected schools. Contrary to the existence of corporative leadership teams, more than half of the respondents based on the frequencies and percentages in Table 3 reveal the existence of insufficient support and supervision of leadership teams in the institutions. Moreover, on the issue of an effective decision-making structure in the schools, the respondents strongly agree to an effective committee supervising the decision-making process, nonetheless, a large number reveals the is little or no inclusion of staff in the decision-making process in all selected schools. For instance, about 27.3 per cent and 40.9 per cent disagree that leadership roles are distributed to staff as well as staff involved in activities critical for achieving school goals respectively. Teacher Organizational Commitment The frequencies and percentages in Table 4 exhibit the scores and measures that enhance teachers’ commitment to their respective schools. The items measure the inspirations and the effect it has on the respondents’ https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 90 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 Table 4: Distributed leadership estimation Dim. Items Strongly disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree C oo pe ra tio n O f th e Le ad er sh ip T ea m s 1. There is a well-functioning leadership team in our school. 1(4.5 %) 4 (18.2%) 2(9.1%) 4 (18.2%) 10 (45.5%) 2. The leadership team supports the goals we like to attain with our school. 0 6(27.3%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 9(40.9%) 3.All members of the leadership teamwork in the same strain on the school’s core objectives. 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 3(13.6%) 6(27.3%) 6(27.3%) 4.In our school, the right man sits on the right place, taken the competencies into account. 2(9.1%) 7(31.8%) 4(18.2%) 2(9.1%) 7(31.8%) 5. Members of the leadership team have clear goals• The leadership team is willing to execute a good idea. 1(4.50%) 3(13.6%) 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 8(36.4%) 6. The leadership team is willing to execute a good idea. 0 6(27.3%) 3(13.6%) 6(27.3%) 7(31.8%) Pa rt ic ip at iv e de ci sio n m ak in g 7. Leadership is delegated for activities critical for achieving school goals 0 9(40.9%) 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 7(31.8%) 8. Leadership is broadly distributed among the staff. 3(13.6%) 6(27.3%) 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 7(31.8%) 9. We have adequate involvement in decision making 1(4.5%) 7(31.8%) 4(18.2%) 3(13.6%) 7(31.8%) 10.There is an effective committee structure for decision making. 2(9.1%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 6(27.3%) 8(36.4%) 11. Effective communication among staff is facilitated 2(9.1%) 2(9.1%) 7(31.8%) 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 12. There is an appropriate level of autonomy in decision making 2(9.1%) 4(18.2%) 7(31.8%) 1(4.5%) 7(31.8%) 13. compliments teachers 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 4(18.2%) 4(18.2%) 7(31.8%) Le ad er sh ip su pp or t 14.explains his/her reason for criticism to teachers 0 10(45.5%) 3(13.6%) 2(9.1%) 7(31.8%) 15. is available after school to help teachers when assistance is needed 0 9(40.9%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 7(31.8%) 16. encourages me to pursue my own goals for professional learning 2(9.1%) 9(40.9%) 4(18.2%) 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 17. encourages me to try new practices consistent with my own interests 2(9.1%) 7(31.8%) 6(27.3%) 0 7(31.8%) 18. provides organizational support for teacher interaction 1(4.5%) 8(36.4%) 8(36.4%) 0 5(22.7%) Le ad er sh ip su pe rv isi on 19. evaluates the performance of the staff 2(9.1%) 6(27.3%) 3(13.6%) 7(31.8%) 4(18.2%) Leadership supervision 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 7(31.8%) 4(18.2%) 5(22.7%) 21. is involved in formative evaluation of teachers 4(18.2%) 5(22.7%) 6(27.3%) 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) values, that is almost 31.8 per cent of the respondents strongly agree with how the school inspires them to give out their best, 45.5 per cent regularly talk about the place of work with friends leading to about 50 per cent representing 11 respondents strongly care about the future of the schools they teach. Table 5 below shows the estimations on teacher organizational commitments. Teacher empowerment The study further uses descriptive statistics to analyze four factors as the main components of teacher empowerment in sampled Northern Ghanaian schools. All component items significantly enhance the empowerment of teachers in the sampled schools. This is because the respondents strongly agree to all items ranging from 36.4 per cent to 54.5 per cent. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 91 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 Table 5: Teacher Organizational commitment Items Strongly disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree 22. My school inspires me to do the best I can 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 7(31.8%) 23. I’m proud to be a part of this school team 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 2(9.1%) 4(18.2%) 8(36.4%) 24. I really care about the fate of this school 2(9.1%) 3(13.6%) 0 5(22.7%) 11(50%) 25. I find that my values and the organization’s values are very similar 2(9.1%) 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 7(31.8%) 26. I regularly talk to friends about the school as a place where it is great to work 2(9.1%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 2(9.1%) 10(45.5%) 27. I’m really happy that I choose this school to work for 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.8%) 8(36.4%) Table 6: Teacher Organizational commitment Strongly disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree M ea ni ng fu ln es s 28. The work I do is beneficial for me 1(4.5%) 4(18.2%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 10(45.5%) 29. My job gives me the chance to use innovative ideas. 1(4.5%) 7(31.8%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 8(36.4%) 30. I am always motivated to complete the work assigned by organization 3(13.6%) 5(22.7%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 8(36.4%) 31.I am always motivated to complete the work assigned by organization 2(9.1%) 6(27.3%) 2(9.1%) 4(18.2%) 8(36.4%) 32. My job fulfils my professional needs. 0 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 2(9.1%) 10(45.5%) 33. I receive professional respect and appreciation from my colleagues. 2(9.1%) 4(18.2%) 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 10(45.5%) C om pe te nc e 34. I perform the assigned tasks effectively 1(4.5%) 4(18.2%) 0 6(27.3%) 11(50%) 35. I am confident about my abilities for completing the tasks assigned to me. 2(9.1%) 3(13.6%) 1(4.5%) 4(18.2%) 12(54.5%) 36. I am able to utilize available resources to accomplish tasks 1(4.5%) 2(9.1%) 2(9.1%) 6(27.3%) 11(50%) 37. I have abilities to solve any type of work- related problems 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 1(4.5%) 4(18.2%) 11(50%) 38. I am well equipped with the skills to develop curricula for the students. 0 5(22.7%) 1(4.5%) 4(18.2%) 12(54.5%) S el f- D et er m in at io n 39. I have control over my work such as selection of textbooks, lesson planning and scheduling 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 2(9.1%) 2(9.1%) 10(45.5%) 40. I am free to share my own views for the work-related discussion 0 6(27.3%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 9(40.9%) 41. I select the study material taking into consideration the performance of students. 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 4(18.2%) 8(36.4%) Im pa ct 42. My work exerts positive effect on my organization 2(9.1%) 3(13.6%) 3(13.6%) 4(18.2%) 10(45.5%) 43. My work influences the strategic, administrative outcomes of the organization. 2(9.1%) 2(9.1%) 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 8(36.4%) 44. I believe that standards of quality of my organization depend upon my work 1(4.5%) 5(22.7%) 5(22.7%) 2(9.1%) 9(40.9%) 45. I play a lead role in the implementation of new policies in my organization 4(18.2%) 6(27.3%) 2(9.1%) 1(4.5%) 9(40.9%) https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 92 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 Correlation Analysis The study employed spearman’s rho correlation to explore the relationship between DL and TOC, TOC-TE nexus and TE and DL relationship since the data sample is nonparametric and not normally distributed. The correlation coefficient spans from +1 to -1, where a +1 coefficient shows a perfect correlation between the two variables, a zero coefficient indicates a no relationship and finally, a -1 shows a perfect negative relationship between the variables. Table 7 below captures the correlation coefficients of the interest variables and their possible p-values. Table 7: Spearman’s Correlation Estimation S pe ar m an ’s rh o co ef fic ie nt DL TOC TE DL Corr. Coef. 1.000 .887** .870** Sig . .000 .000 N 22 21 22 TOC Corr. Coef. .887** 1.000 .904** Sig .000 . .000 N 21 21 21 TE Corr. Coef. .870** .904** 1.000 Sig .000 .000 . N 22 21 22 The relationship between DL and TOC Table 7 exhibits the relationship between DL and TOC as well as the DL and TE. The findings of Spearman correlations show a significant correlation between DL and TOC. The correlation coefficient is about 0.887 and significant at a 1 per cent level (0.000) with 21 observations indicating a strong positive relationship between DL and TOC. The relationship between DL and TE More so, the results of spearman’s correlation further indicate a significant strong positive correlation between DL and TE, since the coefficient is about 0.870 at a 1 per cent significance level from about 22 observations. The relationship between TE and TOC The relationship between TE and TOC was explored using spearman’s correlation coefficient. There was a strong and significant positive correlation between the two variables, r = 0.904, n = 21, a p-value of 0.000, thus, empowering teachers will go a long way to enhance their commitment towards achieving the institution’s goals. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The study was intended to assess and explore the relationship between distributed leadership and teacher commitment as well as how teacher empowerment facilitates distributed leadership and teacher commitment relationship in private elementary schools in the northern part of Ghana. The study adopts three main research instruments from the scholarly works from the following: Mowday et al. (1979), Hulpia et al. (2010) and Singh & Kaur (2019). The instruments include organizational commitment questionnaires (OCQ), inventory for distributed leadership (DLI), and teacher empowerment scale (TES), respectively. The organizational commitment (OCQ) questionnaire has a long and short version of questionnaires but the short version of the OCQ questionnaire which was adapted consists of six positively worded items and is unidimensional. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the finding was relatively in line with the results found by the owners of the instruments or scales. The results from table 2 indicate the sample data is not normally distributed. Concerning the relationship between distributed leadership and teacher organizational commitment, all indicators and dimension show that distributed leadership will significantly influence the commitment of teachers in selected schools in Ghana due to the extent and magnitude of respondent who strongly agrees to the items in both variables and the results of the spearman as evidence in table Tables 4, 5 and 7. Thus, the finding of this study confirms the results of Hulpia et al. (2010), which reveals a direct relationship between distributed leadership and teacher organizational commitment. Furthermore, the study attempts to probe into investigating the facilitating effects of teacher empowerment between the distributed leadership and teacher commitments in the selected schools shown in Table 6. The study measured teacher empowerment with four main indicators namely, meaningfulness, competence, self-determination and impact. All indicators show a significant relationship between distributed leadership and teacher commitment. Intuitively, school leaders distributing and including teachers or staff in the sampled school by empowering them will go a long way to enhance and improve the commitments of teachers in the various schools (all things being equal). Additionally, the results from Table 7 shows a strong and significant relationship between DL and TE as well as TOC and TE, thus, distributing leadership roles will empower teachers, thereby enhancing teachers’ commitment in Ghana’s private elementary schools. CONCLUSION This study enhanced the literature on distributed leadership, teacher commitment and how teacher empowerment facilitates the effectiveness of the relationship in both theory and practice. Moreover, the findings spotlight the relevance of distributing and delegations of leadership and decision-making roles to teachers and staff to induce them to work towards achieving the objectives of schools in Ghana. Thus, distributing leadership responsibilities among teachers is partly consistent with the concept of teacher empowerment, and it has been successfully demonstrated that it has a good impact on teacher commitment. There can be no meaningful progress in resolving the difficulties that schools face without devoted teachers. The practice of school leadership models in Ghana is limited, thus making literature in the field scarce so, https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 93 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 the study aims to improve the situation by encouraging private school principals in Northern Ghana to delegate leadership roles among school staff which may provide ample space for them to carry out some decisions. Distributing leadership roles is similar to the concept of empowerment of teachers will positively affect their commitment (Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, 2015). LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH This study replicated and responded to the call for further research by Mohd Ali & Yangaiya, (2015) to examine the influence of school distributed leadership (DL) on teachers’ organizational commitment (TC) and to investigate if teachers’ empowerment (TE) mediates the relationship between distributed leadership and teachers’ organizational commitments in private elementary schools. Due to the use of small sample, the results of this research have not been generalized. Future studies could use larger samples in order to generalize findings. Again, with all Ghanaian polytechnics now converted into technical Universities with different management structures, more research should be conducted to explore how leadership is distributed in Technical universities and the mediating role of teachers’ empowerment distributed leadership and lecturers organizational commitments. REFERENCES Aliakbari, M., & Amoli, F. A. (2016). The Effects of Teacher Empowerment on Teacher Commitment and Student Achievement. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 7(4), 649–657. https://doi.org/10.5901/ mjss.2016.v7n4p649 Ampah-mensah, M. A. A. (2013). Preparation of School Heads in Ghana : Making a Case for Theoretical Knowledge. 4(23), 154–159. Balyer, A., Ozcan, K., & Yildiz, A. (2017). Teacher Empowerment: School Administrators Roles. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 17(70), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2017.70.1 Berjaoui, R. R., & Karami-Akkary, R. (2020). 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(2016). Managerial Leadership : A Review of TIneory and Research. Journal of Managemen, March. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920638901500207 APPENDIX Instruction. Listed below are a series of statements that represent possible feelings that individuals might have about the organization for which they work. Concerning your own feelings about the particular organization for which you are now working. Distributed Leadership Inventory Scale Item Scale 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) Cooperation of the leadership team • There is a well-functioning leadership team in our school • The leadership team supports the goals we like to attain with our school • All members of the leadership teamwork in the same strain on the school’s core objectives • In our school, the right man sits on the right place, taken the competencies into account • Members of the leadership team have clear goals • The leadership team is willing to execute a good idea Participative decision making • Leadership is delegated for activities critical for achieving school goals • Leadership is broadly distributed among the staff • We have adequate involvement in decision making • There is an effective committee structure for decision making • Effective communication among staff is facilitated • There is an appropriate level of autonomy in decision making Principal Leadership support To what amount are (1) the principal; (2) the assistant principals; (3) the teacher leaders involved in the following statements? 1 (never) to 5(always) • compliments teachers • explains his/her reason for criticism to teachers • is available after school to help teachers when assistance is needed. • encourages me to pursue my own goals for professional learning • encourages me to try new practices consistent with my own interests • provides organizational support for teacher interaction Principal Leadership supervision • evaluates the performance of the staff • is involved in the summative evaluation of teachers • is involved informative evaluation of teachers Teacher Organizational Commitment • My school inspires me to do the best I can • I’m proud to be a part of this school team • I really care about the fate of this school • I find that my values and the organization’s values are very similar • I regularly talk to friends about the school as a place where it is great to work • I’m really happy that I choose this school to work for Teacher Empowerment Fac.1 Meaningfulness The work I do is beneficial for me My job gives me the chance to use innovative ideas. I am always motivated to complete the work assigned by the organization My job fulfils my professional needs. I receive professional respect and appreciation from my colleagues. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 95 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(2) 86-95, 2022 Fac.2 Competence I perform the assigned tasks effectively I am confident about my abilities for completing the tasks assigned to me. I am able to utilize available resources to accomplish tasks. I have abilities to solve any type of work-related problems. I take personal initiatives in carrying out my work I am well equipped with the skills to develop curricula for the students. Fac.3 Self-Determination I have control over my work such as selection of textbooks, lesson planning and scheduling I am free to share my own views for the work-related discussion. I select the study material taking into consideration the performance of students. Fac.4 Impact My work exerts positive effect on my organization My work influences strategic, administrative outcomes of the organization. I believe that standards of quality of my organization depend upon my work I play a lead role in implementation of new policies in my organization https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri